


Purgatory

by Lyds and Ally (thunderandlightning)



Series: Beacon County, California [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-02-23 12:09:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23711275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderandlightning/pseuds/Lyds%20and%20Ally
Series: Beacon County, California [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1707733





	Purgatory

Buffy opened her eyes to the sunset overhead. Her lungs were clear of the stagnant water she had been certain she was going to drown in, and she sat up slowly, checking herself over for other injuries. Aside from the puncture wounds on her neck, already healed over into scars, she was healthy enough to get to her feet. She didn’t recognize the landscape around her, but she didn’t have time to worry about that as an unfamiliar creature lunged at her, mouth wide open and row upon row of teeth snapping closed over the space where her arm had been before she moved. She kicked the _whatever it was_ in the chin, driving its lower jaw into the roof of its mouth. The creature howled in pain and ran away from her. 

“That was a leviathan.” An amused male voice spoke up from behind Buffy. “And it probably just ran off to get some friends. It’s going to keep coming back with more reinforcements until you kill them all. You can’t leave anything alive here. If it moves, it wants you dead.” 

“Yeah?” Buffy turned to face the guy, giving him an assessing look. “You’re a vampire. And you seem to be moving just fine. Maybe I should start with you.” 

“You could.” The vampire laughed. “In fact, you already did. I’m pretty sure I was your first kill in Sunnydale.” He tossed a sharpened stick to her. “You didn’t let me have a chance to tell you anything I wanted to tell you, beyond the Harvest being soon.” 

“Right.” Buffy eyed the vampire warily. “That wasn’t the most helpful, by the way.” 

“Well, I couldn’t exactly talk with the stake in my chest. You’re going to need someone to watch your back while you’re here. Maybe keep the pointy end of that thing away from me, until we find the way out.” 

“You know of a way out of here?” Buffy glanced down at the stake, then looked up at the vampire again. “Where exactly is here?” 

“Purgatory.” He gestured for her to walk ahead of him, smiling when she shook her head and stayed where she was. “I don’t bite.” 

“Clever.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “Listen, whatever your name is-” 

“Are you asking? I paid enough attention to you to know that you do have manners. Using them wouldn’t be the worst thing.” The vampire said dryly. 

“I’m dead.” Buffy said bluntly. “I don’t think I have to worry about getting into trouble with anybody for being a little rude.” She waited, but he didn’t respond. “Fine, Fangboy. What’s your name? I’ll stake you again if you tell me it’s Lestat or Dracula.” 

“Angel.” The vampire said quietly. 

“A vampire. Named Angel.” Buffy repeated. “Okay, sure. Make one quip about being my guardian Angel and I’ll end you. What the hell was that tooth fairy’s wet dream that tried to attack me?” 

Angel laughed. “That was a leviathan. I already told you that.” 

“Right.” Buffy felt embarrassed. “You did.” She nodded. “I guess I'm just a little disoriented from not having a body and all. Which begs the question, how did I kick that thing? I don’t have a physical form.” She frowned when Angel approached her and pinched her arm. “Ow.” 

“You’re physically here.” Angel explained. “You did die, but whatever runs this place, it puts your soul right back into your body if it thinks you’re worthy. That means you still have to get out, though. And that means finding the exit.” 

“And you’re worthy?” Buffy looked skeptical. “You were solid enough to pinch me.” 

Angel shrugged at her. “I wasn’t until you got here. I guess somebody really wants you to live.” 

“That’s stupid.” Buffy muttered. “I don’t have a death wish or anything. If I did, I’d be sitting pretty right now. But if I’m supposed to be alive, shouldn’t that be elsewhere?” 

“Well, you did die.” Angel pointed out. “Come on. We should find shelter. I don’t need it, but you do. Besides, it’ll give you an advantage.” 

“And I should trust you because?” Buffy frowned. 

Angel laughed. “I’m not asking for your trust. Keep me alive and I’ll keep you alive, and maybe we can both get out of here. You won’t ever have to see me again, once we’re free of this place.” 

Buffy wasn’t sure she should take him at his word, but she knew that she definitely wasn’t in Sunnydale, and getting home wasn’t going to happen if she stayed where she was. She started walking, keeping a tight grip on the stake in her hand. It wasn’t going to be enough to stop the leviathans, but she was already thinking of possibilities for better weapons. She stayed mindful of the vampire at her back, even as she wondered what everyone she loved was doing. It did bring up a few questions for her. “Are you some kind of expert on the afterlife?” She asked suddenly. “It’s not like you had one until I staked you.” 

“I was around for a couple of centuries.” Angel admitted. “So I got to hear about all kinds of religious beliefs. As for my own? I’m a vampire with a soul. It’s kind of hard not to believe in a higher power.” 

“A vampire with a soul.” Buffy repeated. “Do you know how stupid that sounds? Get a better lie, Angel.” 

“I know.” Angel laughed. “It does sound insane. But no more insane than a goddess who thinks she’s a vampire slayer. We could start a book club while we’re here. If we can find any books.” 

“Hello? I _am_ a vampire slayer.” Buffy turned to face Angel, frowning at him. “A goddess, not so much. Dying is kind of an indicator.”

“You’d think so. That’s what they teach kids, these days.” Angel smirked at her. “The fact is, everything dies. Even goddesses like you. Even God with a capital G. I would have told you everything I knew, but again, you staked me. Looks like you liked my present.” He nodded to the silver cross around her neck. “It was more of an offering, actually. We’ve got time. Can I give you the big speech I had prepared?” 

“Sure, nerd away.” Buffy muttered. She reached up to wrap her hand around the cross, feeling self-conscious. It hadn’t done her any good against the Master. She just hoped that the trap she had set for him had prevented him from taking over the world she had left behind. 

“January twenty-fourth, nineteen seventy-nine.” Angel twirled a finger as he spoke, indicating that he wanted her to turn around and keep walking. He followed her when she did. “This couple in Kansas had a son. It was a big deal. The kid’s dad was a descendant of the Shadow Men, and the mother was a hunter. Every power, good and evil, had a lot riding on the two of them starting a family. So when their kid was born, deals started being made, left and right. One of those deals was in Los Angeles. A law firm offered a guy a chance to become partner. All he had to do was sign a few papers and sit back and wait. He was a good lawyer, too. He read over everything and knew exactly what he was getting himself into. He didn’t tell his wife anything about it. There was a clause that prevented him from that. I mean physically prevented him. He couldn’t have told her if he wanted to.” 

Buffy listened as she walked ahead of Angel. She had no idea where she was going, but she got the impression that it wouldn’t have mattered if she did. They were in the woods and there was nothing else around for at least two miles. She recognized Dean’s birthdate at the start of the vampire’s story, but she had a feeling that she was going to have to save all of her questions for the end. 

“So a couple of years pass, and then almost to the day, a goddess was born. The intent was to make her an agent of darkness, but someone else intervened and made her a force for good, instead. A few wires got crossed and she was told she was a Slayer. Killing demons was easy, given what she was, so nobody thought to question it. Meanwhile, the actual Slayer died. And died. And died again. But that was fairly normal. People die every day. A few more didn’t make that much of a difference. The law firm cut their losses and set their sights elsewhere. There’s a war coming, but that’s not for a few more years, and they’re determined to have a role in it. Trying to fight you? That would just take them out sooner.” 

Buffy’s lips twitched, but she didn’t respond as she stepped over a fallen tree. She wasn’t sure she believed half of what Angel was telling her, but it was something she would have Giles look into, as soon as she got home. It didn’t matter how long that would take, though it occurred to her that she needed clarification on a few things. “Hang on. You said there’s a war coming in a few years. How long do you think we’ll be in this place?” 

“Hopefully, not that long.” Angel said quickly. “We’ve got company closing in. This can wait. You’re going to have to run. If we get split up, I’ll find you again soon enough.” 

“No time.” Buffy turned around, moving to stand beside Angel. “We’re miles away from even the possibility of weapons. Something wants me alive and they’re keeping you as my guardian? They’ll just have to intervene.” She glanced at him and shrugged one shoulder. “What’ve I got to lose? I already died once.” 

“We need a plan.” Angel frowned. 

“Here’s your plan.” Buffy said flippantly. “Don’t fall on this.” She held her stake up for emphasis. 

“That won’t kill them.” Angel reminded Buffy. 

“No, but I figure a massive puncture wound or three won’t be so easy to recover from.” Buffy grimaced, her gaze darting to Angel as she could feel the leviathans getting closer. “I do have a plan, but it’s really gross. I’m just hoping purgatory has showers somewhere.” That was the last thing she had time to say before three creatures like the one she had fought off came rushing toward her and the vampire. She drove her stake through the throat of the first one, kicking out sideways to send the second one sailing backward, away from her and Angel. While the vampire fought with the third leviathan, Buffy yanked her necklace off of her neck. She quickly tucked the cross between her bra strap and shoulder, using the silver chain to try to choke the monster. It wasn’t working out for her, and that meant she had to go to plan B, which she had warned Angel about. In a way, at least. She gave up on the chain making a good weapon, letting it fall to the ground with the intent to retrieve it later. Instead, she dug the fingernails of both hands into the leviathan’s jaw, pushing up and outward until she ripped his jaw away from the rest of his face. She gagged at the feeling of oily black blood pouring over her forearms, but she didn’t have time to dwell on that before the other two leviathans were trying to attack again. She swung out wildly with the jawbone, using it to behead both of the other creatures before she did the same to the third one, who had somehow survived what she had done to him. She looked up at Angel once she had verified that all three leviathans were truly dead. “Shower?” She asked wearily. 

Angel stared at her in disbelief. “I think we can find water somewhere.” He said finally. He bent to pick up the necklace chain, giving her an apologetic look before he took the silver cross from where she had placed it. His fingers burned, but he put the pendant back on the chain and clasped it around her neck, ignoring his pain. 

“Thanks.” Buffy said quietly. At least nothing above her elbows had been coated in the leviathan blood. If it even was blood. She wrinkled her nose and started walking again. She kept a grip on the leviathan jawbone, since she really didn’t want to have to do that trick a second time. Once had been one time too many. “Any idea where this portal is supposed to be?” 

“Somewhere at the edge of the place. It could take us a while to find it.” Angel warned her. “I haven’t been here very long. Maybe just a couple of weeks, at most.” 

Buffy stopped walking and frowned as she turned to face him. “I staked you a month ago.” She corrected him. 

“Time moves differently here, then.” Angel surmised. “It usually does, in different dimensions.” 

“Oh.” Buffy wondered how long she had been in purgatory and how much she was missing out on, at home. 

“Less than an hour.” Angel answered the question she hadn’t asked. “If time we spend here is half of the time out there, you haven’t been gone that long at all. But it’s not like we have sports cars waiting for us. It’s going to take weeks to find that portal. Maybe longer.” 

“Did you suddenly find a need to breathe?” Buffy asked.

“No?” Angel frowned at her. 

“Great.” Buffy turned back around and started running. She heard Angel calling out for her to stop, but she ignored him. She hadn’t seen _him_ carrying leviathan jawbones. If he wanted to survive, he needed her help, too. She started running faster when she heard him give up on convincing her to wait and start following her. After a while, she stopped and crouched, holding a hand up to indicate that Angel should be quiet when he caught up to her. She tilted her head, then stood up straight and looked around. “I hear water. A stream or something. I can get this stuff off of me and actually make a plan.” She moved toward the water. “You said you know there’s shelter somewhere around here?” 

“A few places.” Angel agreed. “But it’s not that easy. It’s not like squatting in an empty house. There are thousands, probably millions of demons and people here. If we see a place to sleep comfortably, someone else will see it, too. If it’s vacant, you’ll only have to fight off the newcomers who want you dead and out of their way. If it’s not, you have to kill whoever lives there. Nobody’s going to give the place up easily, and it’s all just for one night of rest. I don’t think you’ll be moving in permanently. And you can’t take it with you.” 

Buffy considered that as she got to the stream. She washed off the leviathan jawbone, then laid down on her stomach and plunged her arms into the cold water, scrubbing the black blood off of her skin. She felt thirsty, but she got up and sat down by the water as she considered that. “I’m physically here.” She looked up at Angel for confirmation. 

“Yeah.” Angel agreed. “Why are you-” 

“Just trying to follow a line of thought, really.” Buffy interrupted. “You spent enough time stalking me, you should know that I’m not exactly going to give Einstein a run for his money. I don’t feel all that tired. I’m not thirsty, even though I probably should be. I feel like I should drink some of the water, but I think that’s less about need and more about habit. Which begs the question... are you thirsty?” 

“I’m not ravenous. If I start feeling hungry, I’ll let you know.” Angel nodded to the stream. “Go ahead and drink something. That leviathan blood is gone by now. You won’t ingest it. Whether you need the water or not, you’re going to keep thinking you should have had something when you had the chance. It’ll distract you from the big picture. As for travel, it would be easy to follow this and see where it goes if we weren’t in purgatory, but it’s not a smart tactic, here. It would be too easy for someone or something to track us.” 

Buffy considered that as she cupped her hands under the water and drank some. She wiped her mouth as she stood up straight, then glanced down at the black dress she was wearing. “This isn’t exactly going to help me keep fighting.” 

“There isn’t a Macy’s around here, either.” Angel said dryly. 

“Did you practice these jokes while you were all by yourself?” Buffy muttered. “I’m just trying to get my bearings. I’ve got no legitimate weapons and I’m wearing the wrong shoes for this. Houses don’t exist in this place and time isn’t moving at the speed I’m used to. Everything here wants me dead. Deader than I already am, I mean.” 

“Buffy.” Angel shook his head at her. “I told you. You’re not dead. You were, but something or someone put your soul back into your body and brought you here.” 

“I don’t get that.” Buffy frowned. “Why leave me here? Why not just tornado me right back to Sunnydale?” She looked up at him, her tone mockingly hopeful. “You don’t happen to have any ruby slippers, do you?” 

“No, and no silver ones, either.” Angel sighed when Buffy gave him a blank look. “In the books, the shoes are silver. Not red.” 

“There isn’t a word for how much I didn’t need that lesson. You’re way too focused on this book club thing.” Buffy picked up her weapons, shifting them both to one hand. She shielded her eyes with her free hand and looked up at the sky. “It’s about two o’clock.” She looked around, murmuring to herself. “Stream’s flowing south.” She didn’t really know what she was doing, but she felt like Angel expected her to take charge of their situation, given the fact that he hadn’t been all that forthcoming with ideas of his own. “It has to end somewhere, right? Or is that another rule that purgatory chooses to ignore?” 

“Purgatory pretty much has its own rules.” Angel replied, following the stream south with his eyes. “But I’m guessing this is one of the normal rules, yeah. Stream flows south, stream ends… somewhere south.”

“So we just travel south.” Buffy nodded. “Away from the stream, but able to find it again later, if we need it. Maybe it’ll lead us to the border of this place. Wherever that is. After that, it’s easy enough to just stick to the - edges? I’m suddenly regretting not spending more time in Girl Scouts.” 

Angel didn’t reply, but a fleeting thought - one that made him properly ashamed - was that he’d wished he’d paid more attention to Girl Scout lessons before massacring them. Clearing his throat, he waved a hand south. “We should get a move on.”

“Really?” Buffy rolled her eyes. “Because I was so thrilled to just be standing here.” She started walking south, careful not to wander too far away from the water. “What exactly have you been doing in the time you’ve been here? Do you know anything useful?” 

“I’ve picked a few things up here and there.” Angel muttered defensively. “This isn’t exactly Los Angeles, Buffy. Or Sunnydale. There, if you die, you’ve got at least a chance for a different existence either Upstairs or Down Below. Here? If you die here, that’s it. There’s nothing left of you.” He studied her and shrugged a moment later. “I learned enough about this place to make sure that I could at least survive it, even if I couldn’t get out.”

“I’m starting to think that you have a limit to the amount of useful you can be.” Buffy remarked. “You’re all tapped out now, aren’t you?” 

Angel rolled his eyes. “I tried to be useful to you before, and you killed me. Excuse me if I don’t exactly want to show you all of my cards at once.”

“This isn’t a poker game, you moron.” Buffy turned to face Angel again. She felt like she was going to get dizzy with the number of times she had to keep stopping mid-stride to talk to him. She could have done it while she kept walking, but this sort of conversation seemed to require face-to-face interaction. “Your goal is to help me get out of here, right? And you’re telling me it could take weeks or months. How about if you stop being lame about everything and just tell me what I need to know instead of acting like you’re waiting for some third act reveal? Otherwise, I could just stake you again and figure it out for myself.” 

“I wouldn’t recommend that.” Angel commented, then sighed. “Fine. All I know is that the portal that’ll take you back topside will recognize you - that you’re, you know, alive. It’ll open for you the second it does. It’s basically… a fail safe. An escape hatch, for anyone mortal that somehow ends up here.” He paused. “Thing is, I can’t leave, the way I am right now. But I might be able to. Vampires were human once. And with this soul, maybe it’ll make me seem more human. But, uh… I’d need to bum a ride.”

“There it is.” Buffy snorted. “I knew you weren’t doing this out of the kindness of your unbeating heart. Fine, then. I’ll help you get out of here, but don’t think this makes us best friends. I have people I want to get back to. The sooner, the better.” 

Angel smirked faintly. “Like I said - we get out of here, and you’ll never see me again.”


End file.
